Downtown Vancouver Active Rehabilitation
Active rehabilitation is one-to-one, exercise-based care that helps you rebuild movement, strength, tolerance and confidence after an injury or a period of reduced activity. Your kinesiologist assesses your current abilities, identifies the daily or physical tasks that matter to you, and builds a program that progresses at a manageable pace.
You don’t need to be athletic or comfortable in a gym. Your starting point can be simple: learning to move without guarding, building tolerance for walking or sitting, rebuilding basic strength, or preparing to return to work, recreation or sport.
Active rehabilitation is available privately and as part of eligible ICBC care at 970 Burrard Street, MZ1, in downtown Vancouver. Private initial kinesiology visits are 45 minutes. For ICBC active rehabilitation, please call reception with your claim number before booking.
Is active rehabilitation right for me?
Active rehabilitation is a good fit when you’re medically stable and want structured support to get back to movement, exercise or daily function. It often follows physiotherapy or other treatment, or begins earlier as part of a coordinated plan. Your exercises are chosen for your current capacity, not taken from a generic program.
People often book active rehabilitation for:
- Recovery after a motor-vehicle collision
- Rebuilding strength and mobility after an injury
- Returning to work, sport, exercise or daily activity
- Improving tolerance for lifting, carrying, walking, stairs or prolonged sitting
- Moving from passive treatment toward independent self-management
- Learning safe, practical exercise after a period of inactivity
- Building a sustainable home or gym program
If you have new or rapidly worsening symptoms, unexplained shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, major swelling, fever, signs of infection, new neurological changes or a recent injury that hasn’t been assessed, please see a doctor before starting exercise.
What happens at your first active rehabilitation appointment?
- History and goals. Your kinesiologist asks about your injury or concern, any medical guidance you’ve received, your current symptoms, activity level, work demands and the tasks you want to regain.
- Movement assessment. With your consent, they assess mobility, balance, strength, control, endurance and the functional tasks related to your goals.
- Starting plan. You’ll practise a small number of exercises chosen for your current capacity. Your kinesiologist explains why each one is included and what level of effort or discomfort is fine.
- Progression. Your plan progresses repetitions, resistance, range, speed, balance or task complexity based on how you function and respond, never by pushing through worsening symptoms.
- Home program. You’ll leave with clear instructions for the exercises to do between visits, and guidance on when to modify or pause them.
Wear comfortable clothing and supportive footwear you can move in. Bring any medical restrictions, imaging reports, physiotherapy plan or return-to-work guidance you have, and tell your kinesiologist if an exercise feels unsafe or causes a significant increase in symptoms.
Meet our kinesiologists
Dylan Sartor, BKin
Dylan completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology at the University of British Columbia and is a member of the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists. His experience includes UBC varsity athletic training and the UBC BodyWorks rehabilitation gym, and his focus is functional movement plans, education, full-body assessment, stretch therapy and ICBC active rehabilitation.
Jasmine Marsan-Johnson, BKin
Jasmine completed a Bachelor of Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology at the University of British Columbia and is a member of the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists. Her background includes personal training, swim instruction and volunteer work in a children’s physiotherapy clinic, and she focuses on attainable goals, routine-building, movement confidence, stretch therapy and ICBC active rehabilitation.
Active rehabilitation, kinesiology and physiotherapy
These services overlap, but they aren’t interchangeable. A physiotherapist is a regulated health professional who assesses and treats injuries and physical impairments using exercise, education, manual therapy and other approaches within physiotherapy scope. A kinesiologist applies movement and exercise science to build your function, capacity and participation.
Kinesiology isn’t regulated by a provincial health profession college in British Columbia. Voluntary membership with the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists gives you and your insurer a credential you can verify, and each of our kinesiologists’ memberships is listed above.
ICBC active rehabilitation
ICBC pre-approves up to 12 kinesiology treatments during the first 12 weeks after an eligible crash, with no physician or nurse-practitioner referral needed. Eligibility, dates, further treatment and any amount outside ICBC’s approved rate depend on your claim and ICBC’s current rules.
Please call us at 604-685-4325 with your claim number before booking. Reception will confirm your claim, the right initial assessment and how your appointment will be billed.
Private fees and insurance
Private kinesiology appointments are 45 minutes, and current fees are on our pricing page.
We don’t direct bill kinesiology to extended health plans, so you’ll submit your receipt to your insurer yourself. Some plans reimburse kinesiology when the practitioner holds a recognized association membership, so check your plan for eligible credentials, referral requirements, annual limits and submission instructions. Our direct billing page lists the services we bill directly, and our ICBC rehabilitation program page explains how we coordinate care after a crash.
Visiting our clinic
We’re at 970 Burrard Street, MZ1, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2R4, in the Electra Building. Use the Burrard Street entrance marked “Executive Offices.” The Nelson Street entrance is residential and doesn’t connect to our health floor. Take the elevator from the main lobby to the mezzanine level.
Burrard, Granville and Yaletown-Roundhouse SkyTrain stations are all within walking distance. Metered street parking is close by, so check the signs for rush-hour restrictions, and there’s paid underground parking near the Scotiabank Theatre. Our clinic is wheelchair accessible.
The building doors are locked after 6:00 PM on weekdays and all day on weekends and statutory holidays. At those times, use buzzer 001 at the Burrard Street entrance and we’ll let you in.
Active rehabilitation FAQs
Do I need to be fit before I start?
No. Your program begins at your current level. Early sessions often focus on simple movement, confidence and tolerance before adding resistance or complexity.
Is some discomfort normal during active rehabilitation?
Yes. Some effort and mild, short-lived symptoms are normal, but your program shouldn’t cause a major or lasting flare-up. Your kinesiologist will help you tell the difference between acceptable effort and a sign that an exercise needs to change.
Do I need special gear?
No. Comfortable clothing that lets the area being assessed move freely, plus running shoes or other supportive footwear, is all you need.
Can I book active rehabilitation without an ICBC claim?
Yes. We offer private kinesiology appointments for exercise-based rehabilitation, movement support or a progressive return to activity.
Does ICBC cover active rehabilitation?
Yes. ICBC pre-approves kinesiology treatment during the first 12 weeks after an eligible crash. Call us with your claim number so reception can confirm the right booking and billing route.
Can I claim kinesiology on my extended health plan?
Yes, if your plan covers it. Plans often require the kinesiologist to belong to a recognized professional association, and coverage varies. We don’t direct bill kinesiology, so you’ll submit your receipt to your insurer.
Start with an assessment that matches your current ability
Book private kinesiology online, or call reception before booking active rehabilitation under an ICBC claim.
ICBC booking: 604-685-4325.
Helpful links: Pricing · Direct billing · ICBC rehabilitation program · Contact and directions · All practitioners
Last updated: November 2026